Nut-tapping machine



Feb. 6, 1923. 1,444,111.

s. B. CLAY.A

NUT TAPPING MACHINE.

FILE'D SEPTA, 11920. z SHEETS-suini.

amm. E cmg Patented Feb. 6, i923.

SAIYUEL B. CLAY, GF ST. LOUIS, IIISSOUR-, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDWARD R. FISI-, OF WEBSTER GRVES, MISSOURI.

NUT-TAPING MACHINE.

Application led September 4l, 1920. Serial No. 408,254.

To all iii/0m t may concern.'

Be it known that l, SAMUEL B. CLAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Nut-Tapping Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others, skilled in the art to which it appertains, to make and use the same.

This invention relates to nut tapplng mchines, and has for its main object tol p rovide an etlicient nut tapping machine oi simple construction that will automatically iced nut blanks into position to be operated on, tap or thread a number ot nut blanks and then cease operating.

Another object is to provide a nut blank feeding mechanism of simple design that can be used in conjunction with a nut tapping machine for automatically Yfeeding nut blanks from a supply hopper into position to be acted upon by the tap or threading device ot the machine. Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinatter pointed out.

Figure l ot the drawings `is a front elevational view of a portion of a nut tapping machine constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the machine shown in Figure l.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view illustrating the operation of t-he nut blank feeding mechanism. l

`Figure e is a top plan view of the nut blank supply hopper and the reciprocating slide that feeds the nut blanks from said hopper into position to be acted upon by the tap carried by the spindle of the ma- 40 chine.

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of the nut blank hopper; and

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a modiiication or' my invention.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred lorm of my invention, A designates the :trame or supporting structure ot' a multiple spindle nut tapping machine, B designates one oi' the vertically movable spindles ot said machine which is provided with a tap or threadint device C for cutting screwothreads in the nut blanks, D desiates a gear splined to said spindle and meshing with a gear D bevel pinion E that is rotated by a which meshes with a bevel pinion E on the operating shaft F, and Gr designates a cylinder mounted on the frame oit' the machine above the spindle B and provided with a piston H whose rod H is operatively connected with the upper end of the spindle B. Any other suitable means than the gears above referred to can be used ior rotatin the spindle B.

structed that after it has been set in operation the spindle B will move upwardly and downwardly a number of times and then cease operating automatically, thus causing a number of nut blanks to be tapped automatically without requiring the operator to actuate a controlling deviceat the niachine.

however,

each cycle oi" l wish it to be understood,

that it is immaterial, so far as my present invention is concerned, whether the mechanism that governs the operation of the spindle l): so constructed that said spindle will merely move downwardly and upwardly7 once and then cease operating, or will move downwardly and upwardly a number of times and then cease operating.

il Huid medium such as compressed air is used to raise the spindle B and hold said spindle in elevated position, and gravity is relied upon to move wardly nut blank.

to the cylinder G- so as to feed the tap C said spindle dowir through the Said fluid medium is supplied through a pipe l and the admission and exhaust of said fluid medium to and trom said cylinder is governed bv an ordinary D shaped slide valve that is moved automatically in one direction the completion of the threading operation so as to admit the operatingmedium to the lower end of the cylinder G', thus causing the spindle B to move upwardly, and is moved automatically in the opposite direction at the said spindle medium to exhaust from said end of the upward stroke ot so as to permit the operating cylinder and thus permit the spindle to move downwardly by gravity,

The valve just referred to is arranged in a cage or housing' l and the actuating mechanism for said valve is ot the construction described in my pending application previously referred to and comprises a lever 2O pivotally connected at 2l to a supporting plate 22 and pivotally connected intermediate its ends to the stem 23 of the controlling` valve. A rod 24 that projects downwardly from the valve lever 2O is provided with a stop 25 that co-operates with a part 2G which moves vertically with the spindle B so as to open the controlling val-ve and .thus admit the operating` medium to the lower end ot the cylinder (l at the end oi the downward stroke of the spindle B. Said controlling valve is moved in the opposite direction at the end of the upward stroke ot the spindle B, so as to permit the operating medium to escape from the cylinder Gr by means o'lf a toothed wheel that moves vertically with the spindle l5 and which is s0 arranged that one oi" the teeth on same will engage a forwardly-projecting lip 36 on the valve lever 2O and move said lever at the completion ot the upward stroke of the spindle B. In addition to the automatic actuating` mechanism 'for the controlling valve, a manually-operable means is provided tor moving the xf'alve lever 20 in a direction to cause the operating medium to exhaust `from the cylinder (l, said manually-operable means consisting,v of a pivot- 'ally-mounted lever 27 on the stationary supporting plate 22 provided with an operating;- rod 28 and arranged so that the :tree end ot said lever 27 will engage the tree end oit the valve lever 2O and move said lever when the operating rod 28 is pulled downwardly.

The toothed wheel dV is rotatably mounted between a pair of uprights 29 on the part 26 previously referred to, said part consisting` of a member connected to the piston rod H in such a manner that it will move vertically with same and havinggl its rear end portion guided in a vertically disposed guideway 31 which projects downwardly rom the portion of the t ame A of the machine on which the cylinder G is mounted. The wheel d is provided with a plurality of teeth, the number of which will vary according to the number or' automatic operations it is desired to have the spindle make. 'lT or example, it it is desired to have the spindle make ten operations and then come to rest automatically, the wheel d will be provided with nine teeth and a blank space arranged between the iirst tooth and the last tooth on the periphery oi the wheel. The function of the teeth on the wheel J is to move the valve lever 20 upwardly at the completion of each upward stroke of the spindle B, so as to exhaust the operatinp, medium from the cylinder G, and thus permit the spindle B to nieve downwardly by gravity. ln order that the machine will make a definite number of complete operations and then come to rest automatically, means is provided for turning the wheel J one step lorwardly at each cycle of the spindle l, so as to bring` the blank space on the wheel l into such a position with relation to the forwardly-projecting lip 36 on the valve lever 20 that said lever will not be moved upwardly or in direction to exhaust the operating medium irom the cylinder at the completion or the last upward stroke of the spindle. ln view ot the tact that the mechanism above described for actuating' the controlling valve is clearly illustrated and described in my pending application previously reierred to, l have not herein illustrated the details oi' construction ol' the means tor progressively moving? the wheel d one step iforwardly at each cycle of the spindle i3. Sutiice it to say that said means consists or" a pivotally-mounted dog 3a (see Figure 2) arranged in such a manner that on the downward stroke of the spindle B said dog` will cause the wheel J to turn one step forwardly. Retrograde movement of the wheel d is prevented by a pawl 38 carried by one ol' the uprights 29 on which the wheel J is mounted (as shown in Figure l/Vhen the wheel. d reaches such a position that the blank space on the periphery of said wheel is brought into operative relationship with the forwardlyprojecting lip 3G on the `valve lever 20, the machine will cease opera-ting automatically at the end et the upward stroke of the spindle ll.

yithe machine herein illustrated digll'ers 'from the machine described in my application previously referred to, in that it is provided with a mechanism for automatically feeding nutblanks into position to be acted upon by the tap C on the spindle B. Said feeding mechanism comprises a nut blank hopper 50 arranged vertically or in an inclined position in vertical alignment with the spindle ll in Aliront ot same, and means for causing nut blanks to be ted progressively trom the lower end oi the hopper 5l) into vertical alignment with the tap t) on the spindle. the form of my invention shownL in Figures l to 5, inclusive, a reciprotartingt slide l is mounted on a horizontelly-disposed supper-thml plate 5l at the lower end et the hopper 50.. `and a mechanism operated by the vertical movement o'li the spindle il is employed tor reciprocatingl said slide forwardly and rearwardly so as to etlect the feeding; et the nut blanks from the lower end et the hopper 50 into alignment with the tap C. rllhe slide .l is mounted in a guidewag.' on the srqiportingl plate 5l formed by members 52 that lap over the longitudinal side edge portions ci said slide. and S" 'j Y is provided with a slot i iu; nut hlanlts that rest e plate 5i. .ln other llO words, the slide K consists practically of an open frame that surrounds a number of nut blanks that rest upon the supporting plate 5l. The supporting plate 5l is provided with a hole 53 through which t-he tap C on the spindle passes during the threading operation, and a stop 54 is mounted in t-he plate 5l in proximity to the hole 53, so as to govern the position of the nut blank that is in, operative position, or, in other words, in a position to be acted upon by the tapy C on the spindle. The slot in the slide K previously referred to is long enough to receive three nut blanks and the stop 54 when said slide is in its extreme forward position, as shown in Figure 3, the lowermost nut blank in the hopper 50 then being supported by the supporting plate 5l of the machine. When the slide K is an its extreme rearward position, as shown in Figure 2, the lowermost nut blank in the hopper rests upon the front end portion R of the slide and the slot in said slide then holds only two nut blanks.

The mechanism for actuating the slide K consists of a bell crank lever 55 having its vertical arm connected by means of a link 56 to a. pair of upwardly-projecting lugs 57 on the slide and having its horizontal arm pivotally connected to the lower end of a rod 58 whose upper end portion projects vertically through a hole in the memberl 26 pre` viously referred to that moves vertically with the spindle, said rod 58 being provided with two stops 59 and 6G arranged above and below the member 2G.

Normally, the slide l occupies the position shown in Figure 2, wherein it will be noted that the front end portion R ot said slide is positioned under the hop-per 50 and the rear end oi' the nut blank receiving slot in said slide is positioned some distance to the rearI of the stop 54 on the supporting' plate 5l, The nut blank which is to be threaded on the next downward stroke o'f the spindle B is positioned in the slot in the slide K in vertical alignment with the tap C and the nut blank which is to be threaded at the succeeding operation is also positioned in said slot in front of the operative nut blank, the lowermost nut blank in the hopperl resting upon the front end port-ion B or' the slide. During the downward stroke or" the spindle ,i the member 26 engages the stop 60 on the rod 58, and thus moves the rod 5S in a direction to canse the slide K to move forwardly, thereby permitting the lowermost nut blank in the hopper-to drop downwardly into the front end of the slot in the slide when said slide reaches the end of its -forward stroke. t the completion of the threading operation the spindle B moves upwardly, and when the member Q5 strikes against the stop 59 on the rod 58 said rod receives a quick upward stroke which causes the slide K to move rearwardly back to its former position, thus causing the next nut blank to be brought into operative position in engagement with the stop 54, it being understood that the nut blank through which the tap C passed during the previous downward stroke of the spindle li remains on said tap and is thus moved upwardly by same during the upward stroke or' the spindle. lfhereaitter, the slide K remains in the position shown in Figure 2 until it is again shifted torwardly during the downward stroke of 'the spindle B. From the foregoing it will be understood that the action of the slide l is to move lorwardly at the time the tap (l is passing downwardly through the nut blank that bears against the stop the lowermost nut blank in the hopper 50 dropping `into the front end portion oi' the slot in said slide when said slit e reaches its extreme lorward position, and then move rearwardly after the nut blank which has just been 'tapped is withdrawn from the slot in the slide by the upward movement oi the spindle li. One desirable characteristic oi: a nut blank feeding mechanism oli the constrnctimi above described is that it removes the nut blanks from the supply hopper in such manner that there is no liability of the nut blanks canting or assuming such a positionV that they the hopper when the slide K. ciprocates. This is due to the fact that the lowermost nut blank in the hopper is discharged from the. hopper progressively, or by two separate and distinct steps, instead of in a single step, I obtain this act-ion by making the slide li. or, at least, the front end poii'tion ol said slide, approximately ono-halt the thickness oi a nut blank, so that when Said slide is moved rearwardly from the position shown in Figure S into the position shown in Figure 2 the lowermost nut blank in Vthe hopper will drop downwardly a distance approximately one-halit the depth or thickness of tho nut blank. (ln the succeeding` forward stroke ot' the slide said lowerinost nut blank will move downwardly approximately the same distance when the front end portion et the slide passes from underneath the lower most nut blank,

Vhile l prefer to use a mechanism ot the character shown in Figures l to 5 for iiceding 'the nut blan's 'from the supply hopper into position to be acted upon b v the tap en the spindle. my broad idea is not limited to such a mechanism, Ylor various other means could be used tor this purpose without departing from the spirit oill my inventimi. For example, the nut blank feeding mechanism may consist of a reciprocating eloniezi'li such as a rod TO that is moved in one direc-- tion by a ,iiston Tl arranged in a cji'lindre' T2 and in the oppo;` 'te direction by a sprii T3 and provided with a pivotally moin L nut blank feeding device Tel, that reciprocatcs will jam against the lower end of' lll) l il) to the right, looking at in a slot T5 in the supporting plate 5l ot the machine when the rod Z moves forwardly and rearwardly, as shown in lFigure G. |lhe cylinder 72 is arranged on the underside ot the supporting plate l and is connected by means ot a pipe TG with the exhaust port of the casing' l ol the controlling valve previously referred to. llilhen said controlling valve is moved at the end ot the upward stroke ot the spindle B to exhaust the oper ating medium from the cylinder G, said escaping operating medium passes by Way ot the pipe 76 to the cylinder 72, and thus causes the piston 7l in said cylinder to move Figure G, thus causing the feeding device Tel to remove the lowermost nut blank from the hopper and the nut blank which is next to be operated upon into engagement with the stationary stop 5e, it, ot course, being` understood that the upward stroke et the spindle B causes the linished nut to be moved upwardly ott the supporting plate 5l. llllhen the piston 71 in the cylinder 72 reaches a certain point, the operating medium in said cylinder escapes through exhaust ports 7'?, thereby permitting the spring 73 to restore the rod 70 and the feeding device Td thereon to the position shown in tull lines in Figure 6. The iieeding device 7a is preferably pivotally connected to the rod and the lower end portion et same is counterweighted so that it will normally bear against the stop 'T8 on the rod TO, and thus cause the feeding device Tel to normally remain in an upright position.

it nut tapping machine ot the construction above described, alter being' set in operation, will automatically Yfeed nut blanks into position to be operated upon and it will tap a number ot nut b anks and then automatically cease operating. Accordingly, one operator can take care of a number oit machines or a gang machine provided with a large number of spindles. The nut blank feeding mechanism ot the machine, in addition to being' automatic in its operation, is ot such design that nut blanks will be ted progressivelyv from the supply hopper into alignment with the tap on the spindle ot the machine, and moreover, will be removed trom the hopper in such a manner that there is little liability ot' their becoming 'ammed, even when the machine is being used t'or threading nut blanks ot a relatively great thickness or depth.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as nen' and desire to secure by Letters l atent is:

l. ik nut tapping machine provided with a spindle that moves downwardly by gravity, a tap carried by said spindle, a il id operated means lor automatically raising said spindle at the completion ot the nut tapping operation, and means tor automatically feeding a nut blank from a source of supply into position to be acted upon by the tap carried by the spindle or" the machine.

il. fr nut tapping machine provided with a reciprocating spindle equipped With a tap that is adapted to pass through a nut blank when the spindle moves in one direction, a fluid operated means 'tor moving the spindle and the tapped nut blank on the tap in the opposite direction, and means l'or automatically feeding a nut blank into the position formerly occupied by the tapped nut blank when lthe spindle is being moved by said lluid operated means.

3. A- nut tapping machine provided with a recip'roca-ing` spindle equipped with a tap or threading device, a fluid operated means for automatically restoring said spindle at the completion ot the nut tapping operation, and means directly-connected with and operated positively by the movement ont the spindle for feeding a nut blank into position to be acted upon by the tap on the spindle at the next cycle ci the machine.

Ll. A nut tapping machine provided With a reciprocating spindle equipped With tap or threading device, a liuid operated means itor automatically restoring said spindle at the completion oi the nut tapping opera-tion, means tor causing said spindle to come to rest after it has made a number ot cycles, and an automatically operating means combined with and operated by said spindle `for feeding a nut blank into position to be acted upon by the tap on said spindle at each cycle ot the spindle.

5. il. nut tapping machine provided with a tluid operated reciprocating spindle equipped with a. tap or threading device that is adapted to pass through a nut blank when said spindle moves in one direct-ion, a nut blank feeding device, aid means operated by the movement ol' said spindle in one direction tor positively actuating said teeding device and moving it into a. position to receive a nut blank and operated by the mov-ement ot said spindle in the opposite direction for positively actuating said feeding device and causing it to arrange a nut blank in position to be acted upon by said tap at the next cycle ot the spindle.

6. A nut blank feeding mechanism tor nut tapping machines, comprising a hopper for holding nut blanks, and a ie-eding device arranged under said hopper and so constructed that it will permit the lowermost nut blank in the hopper to partially escape from the hopper when said device is in one position and to completely escape trom the hopper when said device is in a different position.

7. il nut. blank feeding mechanism tor nut tapping machines, comprising al hopper 'tor holding nut blanks, and a teeding device combined vvith said hopper in such a manner that it causes the loWei-most nut blank in the hopper to escape from the discharge opening of the hopper, first partially, then completely, and finally be conveyed away from the hopper.

8. A nut blank leeding mechanism for nut tapping machines, comprising a hopper for holding nut blanks, a supporting surface arranged under said hopper, and a nut blank feeding device constructed in such a manner that when it is arranged in one position it Will permit the lowerinost nut blank in the hopper to partially escape from the hopper and rest upon said device and when arranged in a. different position Will cause said lowermost nut blank to drop Aonto said supporting surta-ce into position to be fed away from the hopper when said feeding device is restored to its former position.

9. A nut blank feeding mechanism` tor nut tapping machines, comprising a hopper tor holding nut blanks, and a movable feeding device arranged under said hopper and provided with a portion on which the lowerinost nut blank in the hopper rests when said device is in one position, and having a slot or opening that receives said lowermost nut bla-nk when said device is moved into a diliferent position.

10. A. nut blank feeding mechanism for nut tapping machines, comprising a hopper for holding nut blanks, a supporting plate arranged under said hopper, a stop or abutment on said plate that determines the position oi' the blank to be tapped, and a reciprocating slide on said plate arranged under [1:: dal

said hopper and provided Vwith a slot ol sui'iicient dimensions to receive said stop and a plurality of nut blanks.

l1. A nut blank feeding mechanism ifor nut tapping machines, comprising a hopper ilor holding nut blanks, a supporting plate arranged under said hopper, a stop or abutment on said plate that determines the position ol' the blank to be tapped, and a reciprocating slide on said plate arranged under said hopper and provided with a slot of suiiicient dimensions to receive said stop and a plurality ci? nut blanks, one portion of said slide being ot such thickness that when said slide is in one position the loivermost nut blank in the hopper will partially escape from the hopper and rest on said portion.

l2. A nut tapping machine, comprising a vertically-reciprocating spindle equipped with a tap or threading device, a cylinder provided with a piston that is operatively connected to said spindle, means ior admitting an operating medium: to said cylinder so as to automatically raise said spindle at the completion of the threading operation, a hopper ttor holding plurality o nut blanks, a reciprocating slide for removing nut blanks from the loiver end of said hopper and feeding said blanks into position to be acted upon by the tap on said spindle, and an operating mechanism for said slide that causes said slide to move in one direction during the downward stroke oit the spindle and in the opposite direction. during the return stroke of the spindle.

SAMUEL B. CLAY. 

